Garrett Hedlund goes On The Road' in adaptation of Kerouac book

When Garrett Hedlund was cast as Dean Moriarty in “On The Road” back in 2006, he had no idea that he’d have to wait four more years for the film to go into production.

In the meantime, he managed to work on other films like “Georgia Rule,” “Country Strong” and “Tron: Legacy.” But if there was a hint of a conflict, Hedlund, much to his agents’ chagrin, pledged his loyalty to the indie film which Brazilian director Walter Salles adapted from Jack Kerouac’s Beat Generation bible.

“It was a fact that for two or three years, I was saying no to everything that came across the table, and (my agents) were, like, “All right, you go off and do that film. I hope Mr. Salles is happy. (Soon people will be saying), ‘Where have you been for the last three years?’, “ recalls Hedlund. “Agents and managers despise passion projects sometimes.”

Published in 1957, “On The Road” has been a passion project for many creative folks through the years. Back in the ’60s, there was talk of Marlon Brando starring in a movie version opposite Kerouac. And in the ’70s, Francis Ford Coppola (who’s credited as executive producer on this version) acquired the rights but was unable to get an adaptation off the ground.

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It’s easy to see why the book enticed Hollywood. It’s the largely autobiographical story of Kerouac alter ego Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), a young writer who is bewitched by the free-spirited Dean Moriarty (Hedlund) — a stand-in for Kerouac pal Neal Cassady — and his gal pal Marylou (Kristen Stewart).

Together, the trio hits the road for a series of adventures that fly in the face of the conservatism of the times. Looking to push the limits, Paradise and his pals experiment with drugs and sex, while refusing to get jobs or allowing themselves to be defined by conventional family set-ups.

Along the way, the free-spirits cross paths with a number of eccentric individuals played by Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Elisabeth Moss, Alice Braga and Tom Sturridge as Allen Ginsberg.

It wasn’t just Hedlund who stayed committed to “On The Road” for four years. Stewart was cast back in 2006 after turning in a particularly strong performance in Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.” Even after shooting five “Twilight” movies, she never wavered in her desire to play Marylou.

As the years ticked away, Hedlund became worried that the film would take so long to get made that he’d age out of the part.

“Everybody grew a bit too old,” he admits. “That was one of my fears with it because … in the book, Dean is 21. We started filming it when I was 25. I turned 26 on it. Now, I’m 28.”

In retrospect, as irritating as the long wait was for Hedlund, he’s glad he had four years to prepare for what he considers the role of a lifetime.

“Now, looking back on those four years, (I think I gained) life experience and life seasoning as well as much more knowledge and wisdom about the ways things work. I think I learned more about people and how (they) get what they want, and also I feel like I know America a little bit more. “

Ironically, “On The Road” is just one of a trio of new movies covering the history of the Beats. Also upcoming is “Kill Your Darlings” which casts Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg and “Big Sur,” an adaptation of Kerouac’s autobiographical novel starring Josh Lucas and Jean-Marc Barr.

Before “On The Road” went into production, Hedlund and Salles hit the road together for a cross country trip. Salles brought along a camera in case he saw something he wanted to incorporate into the film.

“Walter and I got to take a 1949 Hudson from New York all the way to Los Angeles,” says Hedlund. “The greatest thing about that was that we didn’t have a time when we had to get home.

“We knew that any footage we got out of the wonderful landscapes across America was only going to help us with the film or help us as people.”

The road trip was not without its speedbumps.

“We broke down over nine times across the country, in different locations, and met some of the most wonderful mechanics across the United States,” he said.

Hedlund thinks every generation falls in love with “On The Road” because, at its heart, it is a story of an almost unbearably intense friendship.

“All of these people had such an eagerness to express everything, from the deepest parts of their souls, to each other,” he says. “That’s what I was really attracted to within this.”

Hedlund admits he’s also a sucker for the look and feel of the era that gave birth to the Beats.

“It was such a wonderful time — the late ’40s and ’50s — and I have always romanticized it,” says the actor. “Peter O’Toole said once that his idea of heaven was walking from one smoke-filled room to another, and that’s what this time period always seems like to me.

“There are all these black and white photos of people sweating their asses off, in these incredible outfits. All the men wore suits and hats, and all the women wore these fantastic dresses, and they were dancing without a care in the world, or so it seemed.”

Not unlike some of the characters in the book, Hedlund is a small-town boy who dreamed big. He was born in Roseau, Minn., and raised on a cattle farm near Wannaska, Minn.

After graduating from high school in 2003, Hedlund moved to Los Angeles and less than a month later, he nabbed the juicy role of Patroclus in “Troy,” which starred Brad Pitt and O’Toole. Afterwards, he appeared in “Friday Night Lights” and “Four Brothers.”

As a teenager in Minnesota, Hedlund felt a sense of wanderlust that his “On The Road” alter ego experience.

“These guys were trying to explore all aspects in life, when few others were,” says Hedlund. “They just had this yearning for adventure.

“For me, growing up in such a small town in the middle of nowhere, the desire to away was incredible. I wanted to see new lands, meet new people from the city…I had a yearning to live and be on my own, and to journey and get away.”

In the movie, as the book, Moriarty is totally un-self-conscious about his body. When he’s first introduced, he’s not only completely naked but he’s more than willing to give all of his new friends a big hug.

Hedlund says Salles made the set such a comfortable place that he quickly got over his nervousness about disrobing. But sitting next to his mom and sister while they watched the movie for the first time was a nerve-wracking experience.

“There were a lot of laughter,” he reports. “I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I don’t know if the laughs were out of nervousness or because the (movie) was really that humorous.”

In the end, his mom approved of his performance — nude scenes and all. “My mom said it was a lot harder to watch (me do) a dying scene (than a nude scene). I’ve died in three films, and so now my mom begs me, “Just tell me you don’t die at the end.”